Business Improvement Districts by Morcol, Goktug; Hoyt, Lorlene; Meek, Jack W.;

Short description:

Although relatively new, the importance of business improvement districts (BIDs) in urban and metropolitan areas in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Canada has dramatically increased in recent years. Business Improvement Districts: Research, Theories, and Controversies presents the first scholarly work on the subject, bringing together the highest-quality theoretical, legal, and empirical studies in one comprehensive volume. This groundbreaking reference addresses such fundamental issues and controversies as problem solving and efficiency in service and delivery, criticism of BIDs for ignoring the needs of residential property owners, equal representation of citizens, and lack of accountability to elected governments or people. 

Long description:

Initiated and governed by property or business owners under the authorization of state and local governments, business improvement districts (BIDs) have received a very mixed reception. To some, they are innovative examples of self-governance and public-private partnerships; to others, they are yet another example of the movement toward the privatization of what should be inherent government responsibilities.

Among the first books to present a collection of scholarly work on the subject, Business Improvement Districts: Research, Theories, and Controversies brings together renowned leaders in the field to compile the highest-quality theoretical, legal, and empirical studies into one comprehensive volume. Investigating fundamental concerns at the core of the debate, as well as potential solutions, this groundbreaking resource:

• Tackles the need for improved problem solving and efficiency in service delivery


• Examines new and innovative policy tools for both the public and private sectors


• Evaluates whether BIDs do ignore the needs and voices of residential property owners


• Discusses the challenge created by social segregation in cities


• Addresses lack of accountability by BIDs to the public and elected representatives

From different perspectives, leading practitioners and academics analyze the pros and cons of BIDs both in the United States and around the world. They look at their impact on urban planning and retail revitalization, consider their legal implications, and explore ways to measure BID performance. Filled with case studies of urban centers including San Diego, Atlanta, New York, Toronto, and Capetown, and state models such as New Jersey and Pennsylvania, this examination bring together essential information for researchers as well as those leaders and policy makers looking to adopt a BID model or improve one already in place.

Table of Contents:

Business Improvement Districts: Research, Theories, and Controversies. Metropolitan Governance and Business Improvement Districts. Private Governments: A Polycentric Perspective. From Town Center Management to the BID Model in Britain: Toward a New Contractualism? BIDs Farewell: The Democratic Accountability of Business Improvement Districts. From North America to Africa: The BID Model and the Role of Policy Entrepreneurs. The BID Model in Canada and the United States: The Retail-Revitalization Nexus. Private Governments or Public Policy Tools? The Law and Public Policy of New Jersey’s Special Improvement Districts. Business Improvement Districts in the Los Angeles Metropolitan Area: Implications for Local Governance. Business Improvement Districts in New York City’s Low- and High-Income Neighborhoods. Business Improvement Districts and Small Business Advocacy: The Case of San Diego. Business Improvement Districts’ Approaches to Working with Local Governments. Business Improvement Districts in Pennsylvania: Implications for Democratic Metropolitan Governance. Getting the Max for the Tax: An Examination of Bid Performance Measures. Community Improvement Districts in Metropolitan Atlanta. Contesting Public Space and Citizenship: Implications for Neighborhood Business Improvement Districts. The Strategic Evolution of the BID Model in Canada. British Town Center Management: Setting the Stage for the BID Model in Europe. Business Improvement Districts in England: The UK Government’s Proposals, Enactment, and Guidance. The Adoption of the BID Model in Ireland: Context and Considerations.